Lakhvi challenges his indictment in 26/11 case

Rawalpindi, Dec.3 (ANI): Lashker-e-Taiba's (LeT) operations head Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, has challenged his indictment in the 26/11case ,saying there is not enough evidence against him.

Lakhvi filed two petitions in the Lahore High Court in which he has challenged his indictment, and said that there was no evidence and witnesses to prove his involvement in the ghastly attacks.

According to one petition, there was no evidence and witnesses against Lakhvi except Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving Mumbai gunman, and five policemen involved in a case registered in Pakistan.

"Kasab's statement before Indian authorities was not admissible to the case registered in Islamabad and according to law a statement given in a specific case could not be used in some other case," the petition stated.

The second petition challenges Kasab's trial separately under Section 540-A of CrPC.

It said that the aforementioned section could only be applied when a co-accused could not appear before court for illness or other reasons, The Dawn reports.

It may be noted that the Pakistan government, on November 25, reframed charges on all seven accused, naming Lakhvi as the mastermind of the terror attacks

It took the Pakistan 364 days after the horrendous attack that rocked Mumbai on 26th November 2008, but the charges clearly appeared to be safeguarding Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who India believes is the mastermind of the attack.

The special anti-terror court set-up in Rawalpindi's Adial jail while rejecting the 'no guilty' plea of the seven accused, summoned all of them to appear before it on December 5.

Details about the proceedings were not available as a media gag has been put in place, but sources privy to the issue said that the government has deliberately tabled evidence in the court with numerous flaws.

Seven LeT operatives including Lakhvi, communications expert Zarar Shah, Abu al-Qama, Hamad Amin Sadiq and Shahid Jamil Riaz are being tried by the anti-terrorism court.

They have been accused of providing training, financial support, accommodation, equipment and communications gear to the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai last year.

Two other suspects, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum Jamil have been accused of obtaining a SIM card of Thuraya satellite phone service from Jeddah and giving it to the attackers. Jamil is said to head JuD's activities in Multan. (ANI)